Golden-Bellied Gerygone

The golden-bellied gerygone is a tiny, active songbird about 10–11 cm long and roughly 6–8 g. It has brownish upperparts, a grey head and bright lemon-yellow underparts. Its short, straight bill helps separate it from female or juvenile olive-backed sunbirds, which can look superficially similar but have a longer curved bill. The species ranges widely from mainland Southeast Asia through Malaysia and Indonesia to the Philippines (eBird/Merlin and Wildlife of Borneo general accounts).

It gleans insects from foliage in the middle and upper vegetation layers and sometimes joins mixed-species flocks. Habitats include moist lowland forest, mangroves, forest edge, plantations, parks, gardens and coastal scrub. The domed hanging nest is woven from grass and plant fibres, and general accounts report two or three eggs with incubation lasting about 12–14 days. Song varies geographically but characteristically contains buzzy notes that rise and fall in pitch (eBird/Merlin; Wildlife of Borneo general species account).